6 Survival Tips for Trainee Waiters Working in Catering

Waiters have a thankless task. They have to keep everyone from the kitchen staff to the people on the floor happy. If something goes wrong, the chances are you will be the first person to blame. It all gets better with experience, though.

In this article, we have teamed up with top catering company Kidcateringequipment.com, and we are going to show you how to take your first steps into the profession.

1. Always Be On Time (or early)

Making friends early by creating a good impression is the best way of making it in this high-stress job. You do not want to give off the impression you do not really care about the job by turning up late. This is only going to make life far more difficult for you in the long-term. Try to be early in your first few days on the job.

2. Pay Attention to Your Trainer

Your trainer is your best friend and your life support in the first few days. You may be using catering equipment UK at a wedding with the rest of your team. When you do not know what you are doing, your trainer is there to help. Do not ignore them and barrel on in. Despite the fact you are a waiter, you do need to know about catering supplies in the UK for the purposes of time management.

3. Move Faster

Even though guests at the tables may see you as relaxed and comfortable, the reality behind those kitchen doors is different. You need to be able to work at the pace of the rest of the team. It is a job where if someone’s timing is off disaster can ensue.

You may find it overwhelming at first, but instead of trying to get everyone else to slow down you need to speed up.

4. The Grunt Work

Be prepared to have to deal with the work nobody wants to do in the beginning. Your trainer may well give you all the boring jobs, such as preparing silverware. Although it is hardly the most exciting thing in the world, take it anyway. It is common practice in many companies for the newer waiters to have their limits tested by such tedious tasks.

5. Ask the Right Questions

If you have to ask a question, make sure it is relevant to the job. Never ask questions that reek of self-interest. Asking about whether you can have next weekend off or how much you can take out of the tip pot is not going to make you any friends. It shows you are more interested in yourself than improving your performance.

6. Smile

This is the number one tip for succeeding as a waiter. Always smile, even when you do not feel like it. In the face of guests, this lights up the atmosphere and puts them in the mood to have a good time. A smile in the back when everyone is running around trying to get everything ready will improve the atmosphere. It also shows you are taking your job seriously at all times, and that cannot be a bad thing.